Seed saving device



June 8,A 1937. w. A. HARDEN ET AL 2,083,444

SEED AvlNG DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8,.1937. w. A. HARDEN ET AL 2,083,444

SEED SAVING DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ooooooooe' oooooooo ooaocaooma' Qooooooo oooooao June 8, 1937. w. A. HARDEN ET AL 2,083,444 E SEED SAVING DEVICE Snnentow GttoruegS.

Patented June S, 193;?

maar

UNITED srArEs-rArr-:NT *torri-face SEED sAvING DEVICE.y

William A. Harden, Friendship, and Alberta D. Burke, Dyersburg, Tenn.

Application February 8, 1936, Serial No. 63,025

6 Claims.

This invention relates to seed saving devices and more particularly to a seed savingv device which may be used with aconventional mower.

An object of this invention is to provide a seed saving means which is of such a character as to not only prevent the loss of any seed at the point of the cutting of the grain but also to remove loose seeds which are adapted to be conveyed to al col- Y Figure 1 is a top plan partly -in section offa mowing device having a seed saving means mounted thereon constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-';3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail front elevation of the seed saving device.

yFigure 6 is a bottom plan of the mower brushing means.

Referring to the drawings wherein like symbols of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I0 designates generally a mowing means of conventional construction, including a' stationary toothed bar and a movable cutter bar I3 which is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of power, preferably the movable cutter bar I3 beingzconnected to a` driving means associated with the wheels I2 mounted on a frame 'structure I4. Inasmuch as the driving means for the cutter bar I3 is a conventional driving means well known in the art it is though that a furtherfdescription of the driving means for this cutter bar I3 is unnecessary.- i l In many types of mowers or grain cutting devices the grain is formed into bundles whichvarc dropped onto the ground by the mowing machine 55 whichalso-includes a binderand in a machine of AAnother object of this invention is to provide this type the movement of the cut grain causes a considerable quantity of the seed to. be lost, and it. ,f x

is for this purpose that I yhavelp'revided a seed saving means associated withthe mower I0 as will be hereinafter described.

A frame I5 is disposed rearwardly of the mower 'I .I0 and is provided with wheels" IB mountedon an axle Il which is carried by the frame It# Apair of grain agitating and seed removingl members I8 and IS are -disposed Vwithin the frame- I5 and the frame I8 is providedl at its underside and at a point rearwardly of the forward end thereof with a plurality of teeth 20; These teeth Zll'arcl' directed in a rearward'direction' so vthat when the frames |18 and i9 are oscillated and vertically rocked the grain will befmoved rearwardly of the frame I5; The framenls is mounted :on a

crank 2| vwhich is swingably carried by a pair of supports 22 mounted on opposite sidesof Athe frame I0 adjacent the rear thereof and extend-- ing upwardly of'the frame I 5.` The frame I9. is

swingably mounted on the crank'o'r offset portion 23 vof 'a crank which vis also swingably carried fby the upstanding support 22.

The forward end of the'agitating frame I 8 is mounted on a crank/portion 24 of al shaft 25 and the forward end of 'the agitating member I9 is' mounted on a crank portion 26 disposed adjacent the crank portion 24 and opposed thereto. The

shaft 25 is journalled in bearings 2l and 28 carn ried by the forward portion of the frame I5.

The shaft 25is rotated by means of a sprocketv 29 secured to a wheel I2 and this sprocket 23 hasl a chain or flexible drive member 30 trained there ever. The chain 30 engages a driven sprocket 3| which is rotatably carried by a shaft 32.

sprocket 3| with the shaft 32. The clutching member 33 is fixed to the sp-rocket 3| and the clutching member 34 is splined onto the shaftv32` and is constanth7 urged to clutching positionb'y a spring 35. Aforked clutch operating member 36 is operated by a hand lever 3l carried by a bar 38 which in the present instance is secured to clutching means in the form of toothed elutching members 33' and 34 connects the driven a tongue 39. The leverv 3l engages a notched lver Y holding memberMI also'xed to the tongue 39.

"The shaft 32 is connected to the shaft 25 bv nated as 45, is carried by the grain agitating frame f K I8 and comprises side bars 46,` a rear end bar 41 and a front bar48. A brush member 49 is secured to the front bar 48 and extends downwardly of the frame 45 in a position to wipe the top of the cutter I0.. A pair of transversely extending bars 50 and 5| `are disposed in the frame `45 between the end bars 41 andy48 and these transverse' ed to be disposed within this rabbeted portion 1 56. The frame 45 is mounted for rocking movement withrespect to ther frame |8'by means of hinges 51 secured to the rear portion of theframe 45. The frame |9 has a similar brushing frame '58 which is identical with the frame 45 anda further description of the frame 58 is believed unnecessary.

'I'he frame 45 is held in locked position with re-A spect to the frame I8 by means of. a pivoted lock-Y n ing bar 59 which is provided with a notchedlower portion 60 engaging a xed locking member `6| secured to one side of the frame I8., VThe locking'V lever 59 is biased to'locking position by a spring 62. The frame I9 has a similar locking lever 63 engaging a lug` 64 carried by the frame 58 and this locking 1ever63 is biased tol-locked position by a spring 65. Theframe has a hooked shaped locking member 66 secured thereto which extends upwardly in a position to engagethe crank portion 24 when the frame I8 isl in its lowermost position. The frame 58 hasa` similar hooked shaped A releasingbar 68 is secured to upright memj bers 69 and 10 carried by the frame I5 and this releasing bar V68 is disposedginV theV path 4of `the movement ofthe locking*l members 59 and 63 so `wardly and forwardly by rotation 'of' the crank."A shaft 25 ythelocking members 5.9 and 63 will strike l. the releasing bar 68 and the Ybrushingframes 45 and 58 will .gravitatinglydrop downwardly `to the limit k.provided bytheholdingmembers 66 and 61. The frames |8 and`|9 are permitted to swing for- .l

wardly and rearwardly bythe swingable mounting means f2| and23. e A perforate plate 1| iscarriedbytheframe I5 ceiving chamber 12.

Y may be in" the form of a flexible member which is trained over toothedrmembers 16 andl11.4 The toothed members 11` are mounted on a shaft 18 Y rotatably carried by the frame I5 and the toothed i membersf16 are carried by a drive shaft 19.'V The y drlve shaft 19 carries a sprocket 80 which has-a;

over. l `The chain 8| .also engages av sprocket 82 secured to the shaft 25.

A screw conveyor 83 is secured tothe conveyor shaft 81 and the chain 84 is trained over these sprockets 85 and 86. The seed conveyor chamber 13 is separated from the kseed chamber 12 by a partition 88 which is relatively short in height but extends upwardly substantially greater than one half the diameter of `therconveyor 83. The forward endfof this conveyor 83l is journalledin a bearing 89 carried by A housing V9| is secured togthe frame I5 and is disposed on an upward inclination and opens at its lower end into the conveyor 'chamber 13. A

Seedlifting means including a' flexible member 92 in the formi: of `a` chain having transverse bars or cups 93y is disposed in the housing 9| and is shaft 96 journalled in the lower end of the hous- The conveyor 92-93 is ingl9l. One endof the shaftr96 has a; gear 91* securedgthereto whichmeshes with a` gear 98 mounted on the shaft 19. `The upper e'nd'ofthev 'box which is rotatably mounted on a platform I 03 iria selectedposition byva spring pressed latching The -skidnmem-` conveyor 92-93 engages axsprocket 98 carried `by a shaft |00 extending transversely ofthe housying 9| adjacent the upperportion of the housing y dropping down in the outlet 94 passes through a flexible pipe I 0| which discharges into I areceiver |02. This receiver isinthe formof a 30 having skids |04 on the under side thereof. The-1: receiver I 02 is secured to the skid platform, |03y i by a pivot |05 and rollers |06-are positioned be tween the bottom of the receiver |02-and the top.

of the platform |03. `The receiver `|02-is locked ,means |01. IThe receiver |02 is adapted :to have bags positioned therein andthelower end of ,they ,y

, pipe |0| is adaptedto discharge into a selected Vbag carried/by thereceiver 82.

ber |03ris secured to the frame I4 `by means off frame I4.

ing devicethe tongue 39 may bey drawn by any 'T -forwardly extending'arms or barsr I 08, *which swin'gablyengage in lugs |09 carriedby the mower` 1 ,'.f' .1'. iw'45f` l t In the use and operationl of .thisseed savsuitable power means,Y as by a tractor, horses, or the like andwith the rotation of the wheels I2 l z the sprocket 3| will be` rotated by` means vo!! the 'p chain 30. It will be understood that the cutter or mower I0 may be operated by the usualzoperating means therefor and the clutch including the two members 33 and 34 may be'engaged by l(move-f holdlngilever 59 strikes the releasing bar 68 lso that thisbrushing frame 45 will contact in-one Y `[cycle thereof with the top` of the mower |0 and f chain or flexibledriving member 8 -trainedthere- .fj

brushthe s eed and straw rearwardly along the which willthen` fall through the openings in the perforate'wallo'r screening member 1|. i. f

. Whenthe seed falls into the receiving, chamber 12 the seed is moved rearwardly by the conveyor bars 'I5 secured to the flexible members 'HLl The seed moved rearwardly by the conveyor bars 'l5 is then discharged into the conveyor chamber 'I3 where the seed is moved in a direction at right angles to the movement of the seed caused by the conveyor bars l5. The conveyor 13 forces the seed into the lower end of the chute or housing 9i where the seed is picked up by the slats 93 and raised to the discharging member 94. The seed in the discharging member 94 drops through the pipe I0! into suitable bags engaging over the open lower end of the pipe IDI.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that substantially all of the seed in the grain stalks will be carried to the seed chamber 12, and that the seed which is not at rst loose in the pods will be loosened by the teeth52 and 53 and also by the saw teeth 20; It will be understood that while the frame I8 is moving in one direction the frame I9 will move in the opposite direction and that the straw from which the seeds have been removed will be discharged at the rear of the frame l 5, and may then be raked up or otherwise handled. 'I'he particular seed which it is desired to save is known as lespedeza seed, although of course I do not wish to be limited to the use of this machine and seed saving means for this character of seed as it is obvious that the device may be used with equal facility in the saving of other kinds of seed.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from. the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a mowing means, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing means, an oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the chamber, a brush carried by the forward portion of the frame and moving with said oscillatable fr-ame whereby said brush is adapted ln one cycle of the movement of the l'rame to wipe the upper surface of said mowing means, and operating means for oscillating said frame.

2. In combination, a mowing means, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing means, an oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the chamber, a second frame carried by said first frame, means for swingably securing said second frame to said rst frame, operating means for said first frame, and automatic means engageable with said second frame to release said second frame for movement relative to said first frame during one cycle in the movement of the iirst frame, said second frame including brushing means engageable with said mowing means to brush the material cut by the mowing means and the loose seed in the direction of said seed receiving chamber.

3. In combination, a mowing means, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing means, a perforate plate above said chamber, an oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the plate, a second frame swingably carried by said first frame, automatically releasable locking means for locking said second frame against swinging movement relative to said first frame during one cycle in the movement of said first frame and for releasing said second frame for movement relative to said first frame during another cycle in the movement of saidlfirst frame, brushing means carried by said second frame and engageable with said mowing means and the forward portion of said plate when said second frame is in released position, and operating means for said oscillatable frame. t

4. In combination, a mowing means, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing means, an oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the chamber, a perforate plate above said chamber, a second frame carried by said rst frame, means for swingably securing said second frame to said first frame, automatically releasable lockingv means for holding said second frame against movement during one cycle in the movement of said first frame and for releasing said second frame for swing movement relative to said first frame during another cycle in the movement of said first frame, crank means engaging the forward portion of said first frame, operating means for said crank means, and means engaging the rear portion of said first frame to swingably support said first and second frame above sai-d l" chamber.

5. In combination, a mowing means, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing means, an oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the chamber, a perforate plate above said chamber, a second frame carried by said first frame, a brush secured to the forward portion of said second frame and extending downwardly thereof, means for swingably securing` said second frame to said first frame, automatically releasable locking means for holding said second frame against movement during one cycle in the movement of said rst frame and for releasing said second frame for swinging movement relative to said first frame during another cycle in the movement of said first frame, means engaging the rear portion of said rst frame for swingably supporting the rear portion of the first frame above said chamber, and crank means engaging the forward portion of said rst frame for oscillation thereof.

6. In a mowing construction, a seed receiving chamber rearwardly of the mowing construction and secured thereto, a toothed oscillatable seed removing frame disposed above the chamber, a perforate plate above said chamber, a second toothed frame carried by said first frame, a brush secured to the forward portion of said second frame and extending downwardly thereof, means for swingably securing said second frame to said first frame, automatically releasable locking means for holding said second frame against movement during one cycle in the movement of said first frame and for releasing said second frame for swinging movement relative to said first frame during another cycle in the movement of said first frame, operating means for said first frame, means for swingably supporting said first frame above the chamber, means for removing the seed from the receiving chamber, a seed conveying chamberrearwardly of the receiving chamber, a conveyor in said conveying chamber, means communicating with said conveying chamber for elevating the seed, a tubular discharge member connected to said elevating means, and a col- F lecting member below said discharge member. WILLIAM A. HARDEN. ALBERTA D. BURKS. 

